Spoked wheel conveying device

ABSTRACT

The disclosure of this invention relates to a spoked wheel conveying device for the conveyance of rolled stock, for instance, hot metallic rolled slabs, through a cooling bath. The slabs are inserted into the gaps or openings formed by the spokes and rest on end bars whenever they pass through the lower part of their path of motion. These end bars are, on one hand, hinged in the direction of rotation of the spoked wheel and have portions that extend in front of an adjacent spoke gap that serves to close the gap and are, on the other hand, supported on circular rails by rollers when in the position where they close the open ends of the wheel.

nited States Patent Rotter [451 Sept. 26, 1972 [54] SPOKED WHEEL CONVEYING DEVICE [72] Inventor: Friedrich Rotter, Kreuztal-Kredenbach, Germany [73] Assignee: Siemag Siegener Maschinenbair,

G.m.b.H.

[22] Filed: Sept. 29, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 76,355 v [52] US. Cl ..72/342, 72/423 [51] Int. Cl. ..B2ld 37/16, B2lc H14 [58] Field of Search ..72/423, 342-, 46; 198/211; 83/154 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1918 Kruse ..72/423 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner--R. M. Rogers Attorney-Henry C. Westin [5 7] ABSTRACT The disclosure of this invention relates to a spoked wheel conveying device for the conveyance of rolled stock, for instance, hot metallic rolled slabs, through a cooling bath. The slabs are inserted into the gaps or openings formed by the spokes and rest on end bars whenever they pass through the lower part of their path of motion. These end bars are, on one hand, hinged in the direction of rotation of the spoked wheel and have portions that extend in front of an adjacent spoke gap that serves to close the gap and are, on the other hand, supported on circular rails by rollers when in the position where they close the open ends of the wheel.

6 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure PATENTED SEP 2 s 1912 wn v m \NvEN To R.

Fmzomqa Var-ran HE'NR Y C... WESHN SPOKED WHEEL CONVEYING DEVICE Such spoked wheel conveying devices in the past have had their best results when employed in rolling mills for cooling slabs. When operating such slab cooling wheels, the slabs were always inserted horizontally into a spoke gap at one of the circumferential sides while at the same time at the opposite circumferential side, a slab was slid out from another spoke gap, also at anhorizontal level. The rotation of the slab cooling wheels took place gradually at intervals of a distance equal to one spoke; the rotating direction, as seen from the pushing-in side, being downward.

The end bars, as the wheel passes through one portion of its rotation, being hinged or pivoted to the spokes, were swiveled in front of the open end of the respective spoke gaps at the slab push-in station and as the wheel was further rotated, the bars were. held by circular rails in front of the open ends of the gaps. The slabs were thus supported by the end bars which were themselves moved through the cooling tank with their rollers coming into rolling frictional contact with the circular rails. On the pushing-out side of the slab cooling wheel, the end bars were released from the circular rails and, therefore, were removed from the open end of the spoke gap when the rolled slab was pushed out where they remained until the rolled slab was completely pushed out.

The end bars which support the rolled slabs when they pass through the lower part of the path of motion, in the case of the known spoked wheel conveying devices, had the efiect there was only one rolling friction over their rollers between the spoked wheel and the circular rails. However, the end bars were mounted at the circumference of the spoked wheel relative to the spoke gaps in such a way that the weight of the slabs placed on the end bars was partially carried by the circular rails and, partially, by the shaft of the spoked wheel conveying device. In order to keep the extent of the weight on the shaft within acceptable limits, the shaft of the spoked wheel conveying device was made extra heavy and/or it was supported through intermediate bearings which had to be mounted in such a way that they did not interfere with the path of motion of the rolled slabs. This was only possible if the intermediate bearings were provided with a special mounting and supporting structure.

Another disadvantage of the known spoke conveying device was that after the pushing out of the rolled slabs from the spoke gaps, the end bars suddenly swivel back in front of the open ends of the spoke gaps. However, shortly before reaching the pushing-in side of the spoked wheel conveying device, the position of gravity of the end bar changed in such a way that it was affected by a torque in the opposite direction of rotation so that the bar swiveled downward around its swivel shaft and its roller hit the end of the circular rail with great force. This resulted in a deformation of the end bars, the rollers, the end bar swivel shafts and also of the ends of the rails. In addition, this resulted in a considerable noise burden on the operating personnel. More; objectionable, when the end bars or the swivel shafts were adversely affected, was the fact that after the rolled slabs were pushed out from the spoke gaps, the end bars swiveled back in front of the open ends of the spoke gaps so that when reaching the pushing-in side, they remained in the position in front of the spoke gap. In order to avoid damaging the spoked wheel conveying device in this case, it was necessary to place operating personnel at the pushing-in side of the spoked wheel conveying device who would make certain that before each slab was pushed into the wheel the end bars were swiveled to their spoke gap open position. If necessary, these operating personnel were required with suitable instruments to bring the end bars to that position.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a spoked wheel conveying device'of the initially described type in which the stress to the spoked wheel shaft by the weight of the slabs as well as a hard impace of the end bars on the ends of the circular guide rails at the push ing-in side. of the wheel are avoided and in which, on the pushing-in side, the open ends of the spoke gaps are I opened by positive movement of the end bars.

These objects are obtained by the present invention providing for the hinging of the end bars at a substantial distance in front of the spoke gap to be closed and in placing its rollers in the rotating direction of the spoke wheel in front of the spoke gap to be closed, and to develop the free ends of the end bars in such a way that they are elongated by at least the width of the spoke gaps and extended past the circumference of the rollers.

Through this development, according to the invention, the end bars act as two-armed levers in regard to the rollers supporting them against the circular guide rails. The weight of the rolled slabs rests on the load lever arm of the two armedlevers. The load lever arm therefore exercises a torque in the direction of the shaft of the spoked wheel conveying device around the bearing shaft ofthe rollers. Thus, the development of the end bars according to the invention does not only prevent a bending of the spoke wheel shaft, but the shaft is also affected by an additional relieving momentum over the spoked wheels. In this case, the support is supplied by the circular guide rails for the rollers.

Because'of the large distance between the end bar swivel shaft and the respective spoke gap, the end bar, in order to be brought from the closed position to the open position(or vice versa), needonly to be swiveled throughasmall angle. This, according'to another feature of the-invention, offers the possibility to limit the swiveling range of the end bars through catches located at the spokes, sothat the end bars, when entering the pushing-in range for the rolled slabs, will not suddenly hit the ends of the circular guide rails.

From the constructional point of view, it is a further advantage if the swivel bearings of the end bars are provided at a distance from the free spoke end or the spoke wheel circumference toward the shaft of the spoked wheel. The space required to install and operatethe end bars is thus considerably decreased.

During the period of rotation of spoked wheel conveying devices in which the end bars at the pushing-out side of the spoked wheels are lifted up from their blocking position by the rolled stock units pushed out of the spoke gap, it-is also significant according to the invention that the end bars are equipped with supporting levers which are movable through gravity and which automatically hold the end bars when they are swiveled away from the spoke gap. Here it is practical to, develop the support levers as two-armed levers; The

arm directed toward the outer circumference of the spoked wheel will form the supporting arm, whereas the arm directed toward the spoked wheel shaft is developed as a counter weight. This will result in the end bars which, at the pushing-out side of the spoked wheel conveying device, are swiveled away to open the spoke gaps, being able to swivel back automatically into the blocking position so that when the pushing-in side is reached, the spoke gaps are definitely free for the pushing-in of the rolled slab. At the pushing-in side, the support levers then, under the influence of gravity, automatically swivel back to a position in which they release the end bars.

The single drawing shows a spoked wheel conveying device constructed according to the preferred form of the present invention in a partial sectional elevational view.

A shaft 1, which at least at both of its ends are rotationally mounted around a horizontal support shaft, carries several spoked wheels 2 arranged at a distance from each other, of which the drawing shows only one. Each of these spoked wheels 2 is formed by a number of spokes 3, in which case the two adjacent spokes 3 form a spoke gap 4.between themselves. The spoked wheels 2 of the spoked wheel conveying device are located in a slab cooling fluid container in which their lower halves are submerged. in the fluid container 5 each spoked wheel 2 is equipped with a circular guide rail 6 which is arranged close to the ends of the moving sector-like spokes 3. The spoked wheels 2 are mounted for rotation with the shaft 1 which is driven in the direction of the arrow 7 in a step-by-step fashion, namely, the shaft is intermittently advanced an angular distance equal to the distance between two spoke gaps 4. At the right circumference side of the spoked wheel conveying device, a rolled slab 8 can be pushed into each spoke gap 4 in a horizontal direction. At the same time, at the opposite or left side of the circumference of the spoked wheel conveying device, a rolled slab 8 is also pushed out of a spoke gap 4 at an almost horizontal level.

In order that in the course of the stagewise rotation of the cooling wheels 2 the rolled slabs 8 located in the spoke gaps 4 do not drag along the circular guide rails 6, each spoke gap 4 is equipped with an end bar 9. Each end bar 9 is suspended on a spoke 3 with one of its ends swiveled around a bearing block 10, which is located with reference to the rotational direction of the arrow 7 in front of the respective spoke gap 4. A roller 11 is located freely rotatably mounted on each end bar 9 in such a way that with reference to the rotating direction of the arrow 7 it is located in front of the respective spoke gap 4. However, the free end 12 of each end bar 9 exceeds the circumference of the roller 11 to such an extent that it may be swiveled in front of the entire width of the spoke gap 4 and can close it. In regard to the bearing trunnions 13 of the rollers 11, the end bars 9 thus form a two-armed lever whose lever arm 12 is part of the spoke gap 4, whereas the lever arm 14 is secured to the spoke by a bolt 10. Each spoke 3 has a catch 15 with which the lever arm 14 of the end bar 9 engages so that the swivel range of the end bar 9 at the circumference of the spoked wheel 2 is limited to a relatively small angle.

The swivel angle of the end bars 9 are limited by the catches 15 in such'a way that the rollers 11 of the respective end bars 9 do not touch the upper end of the circular guide rails at the pushing-in side when the spoke gap 4 which has the end bar 9 is in its pushing-in position for the rolled slabs 8. In the pushing-in position the lever arm 12 of the end bar is swiveled downward far enough that it falls below the pushing-in level for the rolled slabs 8. When the spoked wheels 2 are further rotated in step-by-step fashion in the direction of the arrow 7, the rollers 11 of the end bars 9 will contact the rounded end of the circular rails 6 through which the end bars 9 are swiveled from the position indicated by fully drawn lines in the drawing to the position which is indicated by a dash-dot line in which their arms 12 close the respective spoke gaps 4 to the exterior.

While the spoked wheels 2 are turned, the rolled slabs 8 received into the spoke gaps 4 slide towards the exterior circumference of the spoked wheels until they support themselves on the arms 12 of the end bars 9. Here the weight of the rolled slabs 8 will turn away the lever arms 12 of the end bars 9 around the bearing bolts 13 of the rollers 11 supporting them on the running rails 6 at the circumference of the spoked wheels 2. Thus, a torque is exercised on each of the lever arms 14 of the end bars in the direction of the shaft 1 of the spoked wheels 2. Since the lever arms 14 of the end bars 9 are by bolts 10 hinged to the spokes 3 of the spoked wheels, the torques of the lever arms 14 resulting from the weight of the rolled slabs 8 are thus transferred to the spoked wheel shaft 1 in a relieving or counteracting sense. The spoked wheel shaft is therefore not subject to the bending force of the slab weight. The spoked wheel shaft 1 is rather relieved from part of the spoked wheel weight.

In order that after the pushing out of the rolled slabs 8 from the spoke gaps, the end bars 9 will remain in their position which is swiveled away from the spoke gap 4 during the rotating movement of the respective spoke gap 4 from the pushing-out side to the pushing-in side, special preparations are made. Each end bar is, at the spoked wheels 2, equipped with a support lever 16 which is swivel mounted to the spoke 3 carrying the end bar 9. The support lever is developed as a twoarmed lever which is swivel mounted at 17 and whose arm 18 is developed as a weight while its arm 19 engages the end bar 9.

The end bar 9 with the roller 11 has a considerably larger weight than the arm 18 of the support lever 16. This insures that the end bar 9 can only be lifted up by the pushing out of the rolled slabs 8 from the spoke gap 4 at the pushing out side, i.e., the left side of the drawing. When the end bar 9 is lifted, the support lever 16 swivels its arm 19 under the effect of the arm 18 which serves as a weight from the position indicated by fully drawn lines to the position indicated by dash-dot lines. Thus, the free end of the arm 19 moves itself in front of the arm 14 of the end bar 9 at such an angle that the end bar, even after the rolled slab 8 has been completely pushed out of the spoke gap 4, can no longer automatically move to the closed position in front of the spoke gap 4 with its arm 12. The blocking effect of the support lever 16 remains until the respective end bars 9 have almost reached the pushing-in side of the cooling wheels 2, i.e., the right-hand side of the drawing. Then, through the shifting of gravity at the respective end bars, a torque will become effective which is directed away from the circumference of the spoked wheel. Under this torque, the end bars 9 move against the catches 15. This relieves the support levers l6 and under the effect of the weight 18, they return to their initial position.

It is practical to proportion the length of the support arm 19 at the supporting lever 16 in such a way that it will keep the end bar 9 supported at an only relatively small distance from the catch 15. This will prevent, when the gravity of the end bar 9 shifts the end bar hitting the catch with great force. Large shock loads and noise developments are thus avoided.

The support levers 16 which are assigned to each end bar 9 are also significant because they insure that the spoke gaps 4 are fully released by the arms 12 of the end bars 9 when entering the pushing-in position so that the pushing in of the rolled slabs into this spoke gap 4 is not hindered.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statues, I have explained the principle and operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof.

1 claim:

1. A conveying device for the transferring of rolled material, such as, heated metallic slabs, through a cooling bath which includes:

a spoked wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis,

a plurality of spoked openings formed in said wheel, the outer peripheral ends of the openings being open to receive slabs,

said wheel adapted to locate said openings in a general horizontal position to receive slabs from one side thereof and discharge them from the opposite side,

a holding member rotatably carried by each spoke of said wheel in which a holding member is provided for each opening,

a rotatable roller carried by each holding member,

a circular shaped tract arranged to be engaged by said rollers in which, when in said engagement, the rollers serve to displace their associated holding members into a closing relationship with said openings where they assume a supporting relationship with the slabs,

the improvement comprising:

means for rotatably mounting said holding members to the spokes of said wheel at substantial distances from'the openings with which they are associated and in a manner to cause each holding member to extend towards the front of its associated opening, said mounting means being arranged on the uppermost spoke when the associated opening of a holding member is in its discharge position,

means for rotatably mounting said rollers to said holding members outward of the mounting means of said holding members in a manner to form two forced transmitting lever arms out of each of said holding members, and wherein one of said lever arms of each holding member comprising aportion that extends beyond its associated roller in a direction of its associated opening and into said opening to assume said supporting relat'onshi with a s1 b. 2. A con eying de f' ice according to claim 1 wherein said portions of said holding members extend beyond said rollers an amount equal to the width of said openings.

3. A conveying device according to claim 1 including a stop mounted on each spoke of said wheel and arranged to be contacted by the associated holding member when the member is displaced in a direction away from said wheel.

4. A conveying device according to claim 1 wherein the means for rotatably mounting said holding members are located at a distance intermediate the outer periphery of the wheel and its center.

5. A conveying device according to claim 1 including a lever pivotally carried by each spoke arranged to be displaced by gravity upon rotation of said wheel, said lever having a portion that engages the associated holding member when the wheels move the holding member between the discharge position to the receiving position.

6. A conveying device according to claim 5 wherein said levers comprise two extending arms,

means for pivotally mounting said levers to said spokes so that one of said arms of each lever always projects towards its associated holding member to form a support therefor and the other arm always projects towards the center of the wheel, and

a weight mounted on each of said other arms.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 93- 397 1 Dated September 26, 1972 Invent r( JERTEDRTCH ROTTER It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The name Of the a5218????,fihQykLtee L-- siem 5 Siegener Maschinenbau G.m.b.H.

On the cover sheet insert [30] Claims priority,

application Germany, October 10, 1969, P 19 51 200.6

Signed and sealed this 1st day of May 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHAEK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I969 0-866-334. 

1. A conveying device for the transferring of rolled material, such as, heated metallic slabs, through a cooling bath which includes: a spoked wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis, a plurality of spoked openings formed in said wheel, the outer peripheral ends of the openings being open to receive slabs, said wheel adapted to locate said openings in a general horizontal position to receive slabs from one side thereof and discharge them from the opposite side, a holding member rotatably carried by each spoke of said wheel in which a holding member is provided for each opening, a rotatable roller carried by each holding member, a circular shaped tract arranged to be engaged by said rollers in which, when in said engagement, the rollers serve to displace their associated holding members into a closing relationship with said openings where they assume a supporting relationship with the slabs, the improvement comprising: means for rotatably mounting said holding members to the spokes of said wheel at substantial distances from the openings with which they are associated and in a manner to cause each holding member to extend towards the front of its associated opening, said mounting means being arranged on the uppermost spoke when the associated opening of a holding member is in its discharge position, means for rotatably mounting said rollers to said holding members outward of the mounting means of said holding members in a manner to form two forced transmitting lever arms out of each of said holding members, and wherein one of said lever arms of each holding member comprising a portion that extends beyond its associated roller in a direction of its associated opening and into said opening to assume said supporting relationship with a slab.
 2. A conveying device according to claim 1 wherein said portions of said holding members extend beyond said rollers an amount equal to the width of said openings.
 3. A conveying device according to claim 1 including a stop mounted on each spoke of said wheel and arranged to be contacted by the associated holding member when the member is displaced in a direction away from said wheel.
 4. A conveying device according to claim 1 wherein the means for rotatably mounting said holding members are located at a distance intermediate the outer periphery of the wheel and its center.
 5. A conveying device according to claim 1 including a lever pivotally carried by each spoke arranged to be displaced by gravity upon rotation of said wheel, said lever having a portion that engages the associated holding member when the wheels move the holding member between the discharge position to the receiving position.
 6. A conveying device according to claim 5 wherein said levers comprise two extending arms, means for pivotally mounting said levers to said spokes so that one of said arms of each lever always projects towards its associated holding member to form a support therefor and the other arm always projects towards the center of the wheel, and a weight mounted on each of said other arms. 